Purpose, audience and form
Every workplace message has a purpose: to inform, to request, to persuade or to instruct. It also has an audience: a manager, a customer, an expert or a beginner. Purpose and audience decide the form, the tone (formal or friendly) and the words (technical or simple).
- Writing to a customer about a delay → purpose: inform and keep trust → polite email, simple words, an apology and a new date.
- Writing set-up steps for a new machine → purpose: instruct → numbered instructions with diagrams.
Common business and technical forms
| Form | Used for | Key parts |
|---|---|---|
| quick messages inside or outside a firm | clear subject line, greeting, short paragraphs, action needed, polite close, signature | |
| Memo | short notes inside one organization | To, From, Date, Subject; main point first |
| Report | sharing findings and advice | title, summary, introduction, findings with data, conclusions, recommendations |
| Instructions / manual | telling someone how to do a task | list of materials, numbered steps, one action per step, warnings, diagrams |
| Résumé and cover letter | applying for a job | contact, skills, education, experience; letter linking you to the job |
| Proposal | asking for approval or money | problem, solution, cost, timeline |
Text features
- Headings and subheadings show the structure.
- Bullets list items with no order; numbered steps show order.
- Tables, charts and diagrams show numbers and parts quickly.
- Bold for key words, plenty of white space, and a consistent font.
Write in plain language: short sentences, active voice ("Press the red button"), and explain any technical term.
Oral presentations and audio-visual aids
Structure
- Open: greet, give a hook (a question, fact or story) and say what you will cover.
- Body: two or three main points, each with an example or data.
- Close: sum up and say what the audience should do next; invite questions.
Delivery
- Clear, steady voice; pause after key points.
- Eye contact around the room; open posture; natural gestures.
- Practise and keep to time.
- Use note cards with key words, not a full script.
Audio-visual aids
- Slides: one idea per slide, few words, large text, a chart instead of a table of numbers.
- Charts and infographics for trends; diagrams for how something works.
- Video or audio clips, short and relevant.
- Real objects or models and live demonstrations.
- Handouts for details people will keep.
An aid must help the audience understand; if it distracts, leave it out. Check that everything works before you start.
Reflecting on your work and giving feedback
The improvement loop
Draft → feedback → revise → reflect. Professionals rarely get it right first time.
Reflecting
- What are my strengths? What do I need to improve?
- Justify your choices: "I used a table because the reader must compare three prices."
- Set one goal for next time.
Constructive feedback on a peer's work: PQS
- Praise: a specific strength ("Your numbered steps are easy to follow").
- Question: something unclear ("Who is this report for?").
- Suggestion: one specific improvement ("Add a chart for the sales figures").
Comment on the work, not the person, and be kind and specific.
Try it: rewrite a wall of text
Take a long paragraph from any instruction, for example how to make tea. Rewrite it with a heading, a list of materials (bullets) and numbered steps. Time a friend finding step 3 in both versions. Then use the slider in the 3D to compare with the example times.
Key formulas and definitions
- PAF: Purpose + Audience → Form
- Purposes: inform, request, persuade, instruct
- Bullets = no order; numbers = order
- Presentation: open → 2–3 points → close
- Feedback PQS: Praise, Question, Suggestion
- Improvement loop: draft → feedback → revise → reflect
Worked examples
1. Your manager asks you to tell all staff that the office will close early on Friday. Which form and why?
A memo or an all-staff email. The purpose is to inform people inside the organization. Subject: 'Office closes at 3 pm on Friday'. Put the key fact first, then any details.
2. Rewrite as instructions: 'You should first fill the kettle and then when it boils pour water onto the tea bag and wait three minutes before taking it out.'
1. Fill the kettle. 2. Boil the water. 3. Pour the water onto the tea bag. 4. Wait 3 minutes. 5. Remove the tea bag. (Numbered, one action each, active voice.)
3. A slide has 120 words and a table of 30 numbers. How would you improve it?
Keep one idea: a short title and 3–4 key words. Turn the table into a simple bar or line chart that shows the main trend. Put the full table in a handout.
4. Give PQS feedback on a classmate's report that has good data but no headings.
Praise: 'Your data is accurate and well chosen.' Question: 'Which part answers the main question?' Suggestion: 'Add headings such as Findings and Recommendations so readers can find them fast.'
Common mistakes
- Writing before deciding the purpose and audience.
- Using bullets for steps that must happen in order. Use numbers for order.
- Reading slides aloud word for word, with too much text on each slide.
- Giving vague feedback such as 'Good job' or 'It's bad' instead of specific praise and suggestions.